Chapter 37

Harry stood between Dumbledore and James Potter as they made their way into the Forbidden Forest. Aurors, the Order of the Phoenix, and volunteers were walking behind them. The air was tense with fear and anticipation. No one dared make a sound. The whole day had been like this. Everyone knew what today was and it made it almost unbearable to be around people that morning. Luckily, no one, but a selected few (like the Order members) knew that Harry was the one that made Voldemort choose the final battle, no one, but the Order members and his friends, knew that Harry would be fighting him. They all thought Voldemort just wanted to prove himself the most powerful and fearless by trying to kill Dumbledore in a 'fair' duel.

Harry feared the safety of his friends, who he could not pursue to stay behind. It was just after noon when Voldemort had owled Dumbledore to let him know he was already waiting in the Forest for them. It took roughly an hour to gather everyone together and head out. Harry's heart was pounding nervously in chest. What if he could do it? What if he was unable to do the spell? Would he be forced to try and physically kill Voldemort? He certainly hoped not.

Harry stared at the Forest and gripped his wand tightly in his hands. He had no choice but to do his best. He couldn't back out of it. There was no way he could have backed out. He stepped into the Forest with Dumbledore and Professor Potter. He breathed in deeply. There was no turning back. It was time.

The battle started ten minutes ago and James already lost sight of Harry. He ducked as a spell flew pass him. The sky was dark with dust and smoke. The Forest was crowded with people and creatures alike, fighting each other. James couldn't even estimate a count of all those who were there. They filled up the vast Forest.

He ducked behind a tree, the hex missing him by mere centimeters. He breathed heavily and looked around, trying to find someone he knew, someone that might have seen Harry. Sirius was in a duel with his insane of a cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. He was laughed at her attempts to hit him with a curse. James ran over, throwing spells at passing Death Eaters. "Sirius!" He yelled, throwing a spell at Bellatrix to distract her.

"What, James? Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Sirius didn't take his eyes off of his cousin, neither did James. They knew better then to underestimate her. She was unpredictable.

"Have you seen Harry?" James yelled over the sound of the battle.

Sirius shook his head and sent a spell at his cousin. She shrilled with laughter as she blocked it. "Last I saw he was with Remus!" He yelled to James. "Go down, you insane hag!" He yelled to Bellatrix as he sent another spell at her. "How, on Merlin's name, we are related I would never know!"

James left Sirius without a goodbye, hoping he would still be able to talk to him after the battle. He had more important concerns at the moment. He jumped over a fallen tree and ducked under spells and dodged people, creatures, and trees. His eyes peered across the faces of those who fought. Minerva was taking on a Death Eater and an Acromantula. He paused as he caught her weary look. She needed help. The Acromantula had backed her against the tree and the Death Eater was sending curses she barely was able to block.

"Reducto!" He heard from somewhere close behind him. James quickly threw his body on the ground. The red spell went right over his head and hit a nearby tree. The trunk exploded into many pieces. James rolled away before any large chunks could hit him. He looked over and saw the Death Eater readying his wand again. "Ava…"

"Petrificus Tolalus!" James yelled before the man could finish his curse. The Death Eater froze and fell over. Wasting no time, James rolled over to his stomach and pointed his wand at the large spider. "Reducto!"

The spider exploded, its green guts getting on almost everything close to it. The Death Eater fell to the ground, having to have stood next to the spider when it exploded. The green guts got all over Minerva, but it only took her a second to recover and sent a spell that knocked the Death Eater out cold. By the time she saw her rescuer; James had stood back up and was once again looking for Harry.

The Forest seemed to have gotten darker since the start of the fight, making it that much harder to see far in front of him. He sent "Petrificus Tolalus" and "Stupefy" spells at anyone wearing black robes, hoping no one on his side was wearing the same thing as the Death Eaters.

Finally, he caught sight of Remus dueling two Death Eaters. James came up behind them and quickly took one of them out. Remus took the other one quickly afterwards. "Where's Harry?" James yelled as he ran up to him.

Remus pointed to the left. "He was engaging a Death Eater in a duel over there a moment ago!" He yelled back before quickly getting into another duel.

James ran in that direction. To his relief, he saw Harry up ahead in a middle of an intense duel with a young Death Eater. He ran towards him, unaware of the foe that saw him. Suddenly, he felt a force push against his side and he went flying into the air. His back hit a tree trunk hard and he flopped to the ground. The wind was momentarily knocked out of him. He groaned as he tried to pull himself up. 'That's going to bruise.' He thought drily to himself.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? James Potter." A familiar voice said from above him.

"Rookwood. How delightful to see you again." James breathed out as he stood up.

The Death Eater in front of him took off his mask and James saw the face of Augustus Rookwood, one of the Death Eaters who had murdered Fabian and Gideon Prewett. James was one of those on that case, but didn't have the proof that the, at-the-time, trustworthy Unspeakable was involved. The Prewett brothers were good family friends. It was the death of her brothers that inspired Molly Weasley to start questioning the safety of her family which eventually led to her divorcé.

"Crucio!"

James jumped away from the Unforgivable Curse, sending a curse back at the Death Eater. "Conjunctivitis!" Rookwood blocked the rather dark curse James had dared to cast. You could not be too picky when it came to a battle, life and death. James quickly sent another. "Confundus!"

The dark haired Death Eater dodged the charm. "Exelliarmus!" Rookwood sent at the same time James sent the stunning spell. Both hit their marks. James' wand flew out of his hand and Rookwood froze and fell over.

James raced to find his wand, but paused when he heard the Death Eater fighting Harry laugh. He looked over and gasped in fear. Harry was missing his wand, on the ground, and stuck between the large roots of a tree. The Death Eater was laughing over him, his wand pointed at him. James acted without thinking, forgetting his missing wand, but all aware he didn't have it. "Harry!" He yelled as he ran towards them. His reaction was way ahead of his mind. It seemed to know exactly what to do while his mind was still trying to decide. His eyes were trained on the Death Eater, his feet pounding against the Forest hard ground, his arms stretched out before him, and a powerful feeling flowed through his body, a familiarly old power, one he hadn't felt in fifteen years. He felt himself grow shorter, his head grew heavier, and his hands touched the ground, pounding against it in sync with his legs.

It seemed to have happened in slow motion. The Death Eater turned to the sound of pounding feet. His eyes widened in surprise. His arm raised the wand. His mouth started to form words. James bent his head down and rammed into him. The Death Eater fell back, groaning. James lifted his feet and slammed them on his head a few times until the Death Eater grew still. James backed away from him and turned to Harry. Harry eyed him with wide eyes, his hands stretched out as if to touch him. "Prongs?"

It was only then that his mind caught up to what happened. He looked down at his legs, noticing how skinny they were, the fur, the hooves. He had turned into his stag form. He had turned into Prongs. Fifteen years since he used his animagus form and it came to him naturally, as if he had been using it every day of his life without pause. He turned back into human and pulled Harry up. "Are you okay, Harry?" He asked, trying to hide just how worried and concerned he was. He looked over Harry, but he couldn't see any serious injuries. However, it was hard to tell through the dirt that covered him.

Harry nodded, still staring wide-eye at him. "Yeah...yeah, sir. Just a few bumps and bruises. Nothing I can't handle." He said.

"Where's your wand?" James asked.

Harry looked at the still Death Eater. "He has it." He said as he rushed over to the still body. He ruffled through the pockets until he found it. He looked up at James. "Where is yours?" He asked.

James looked back to where he last saw his wand. "Lost it." He said. He indicated to Harry's wand. "If you don't mind…?"

"Not at all, sir." Harry said, shaking his head. He lifted his wand up. "Accio James Potter's wand."

From seemingly out of nowhere James' wand flew into Harry's hand. The boy handed his wand to him and the older man thanked him before grabbing his shoulder and pushing him to the ground just as a green curse flew pass him. "Now is not the time for pleasantries, I assume." James murmured drily as he made his way back to his feet.

Harry stood back up. "I have to find Voldemort. I want to get this over with." He started to jump over the tree root when James stopped him. Harry narrowed his eyes. "I have to." He said passionately. No doubt, believing James was trying to stop him 'for his own safety' or whatnot.

James nodded. "I know, Harry, but stay close to me." He narrowed his eyes. "That is not a request. Just stay with me." He paused as the seemingly innocent statement was loaded with double meaning. He had no time to analyze it before a charm went flying pass them, snapping him back to the present situation. "Let's go."

Harry followed him without argument into the heart of the battle. They quickly got into the routine of watching each other's back as they kept an eye out for Voldemort. They moved through the battle with their eyes looking for any signs to the Dark Lord's location. The Forest was loud with the noises of those shouting out spells, of the screams from tortured and dying souls, the screeching of the magical creatures, and the yells for those calling for their buddies and family. This was unlike anything Harry had been in, James knew. But, as he proudly, and sadly, noted, Harry seemed to be taking all too well at the moment. His eyes were alert and his reflexes were quick. He kept a good open head on his shoulders.

"Professor, over there!" Harry yelled out, pointing to the side where bright lights of strong, powerful magic were coming from.

James heart seemed to skip a beat as he realize that this boy was about to engage the world's evilest creatures of the era into a battle. He tried to push his concern and worry aside as they made their way towards the boosts of strong magic. He had no doubt in his mind that Voldemort was currently battling Albus.

They had to climb up a small hill. There weren't many people around this area. Those that were, were already dead. James had to step around a few bodies of Death Eater's and Aurors to get to the top of the hill. Harry was already at the top by the time James got there, looking down on the duel taking place. His face pale with fear, but his eyes set with determination. James looked down and was confirmed in his previous assessment. Albus and Voldemort were in a middle of a duel, both of powerful and strong magic.

Harry turned to him. "You shouldn't come with me, sir. This is between Voldemort and me." He whispered quietly, trying not to bring attention to them just yet.

James gave the younger wizard a look. "Don't be ridiculous, Harry James Potter!" He snapped. "This is more my fight then yours! I am not going to leave you here to get killed! I let my wife and son die to this…this creature; I'm not going to leave you to the same fate! Let's go." He whispered angrily. He barely noticed Harry's wide-eye, shock expression as he slid down the hill towards the duel. He heard Harry quickly follow him down.

Noticing them, the duel was stopped. "Well, look who decided to show up, Potter Sr. and Potter Jr." Voldemort glared at the two newcomers. His red eyes fell upon Harry and James felt an overwhelming urge to hide the boy behind him, away from Voldemort's gaze. Though he didn't do that, he took a protective step forward and tightened his grasp on his wand. He glared at him. "Harry Potter. I am quite curious to how you survived that night I killed your precious mother." His eyes rested upon James. "How did you manage to hide him from me, James Potter? Your acting skills were superb. Everyone believed your grief and pain at the lost of your family. I congratulate you on your skills, James." He mocked a bow to him. He then tilted his head to the side and smiled. "Or did you not know your son lived? Yessss…" He hissed the 'yes' out like a snake. "…that I would believe was more likely."

Albus took a step back until he was side-by-side Harry. "Mr. Potter, I do believe this is more your fight then mine. If you don't mind, I believe I could be of more help with the rest of the battle." He said softly, not taking his eyes off of Voldemort.

"I'm staying here." James said, giving Albus a side glance, daring him to try and tear him away from Harry's side.

"There is nothing you can do here, James." Albus responded in a half attempt to change his mind.

"I am not going, Albus." James said firmly.

"He's right, professor." Harry spoke up. "There isn't anything you can do here. Please. Go help Sirius and Remus."

James shook his head. "No. You said there will be need of a distraction, that it would take a moment to start the spell. I can be the distraction while you are working the spell. I. Am. Not. Leaving." He responded sternly. He looked down at Harry. "You are not going to do this alone." He whispered softly. They stared at each other, both with bright eyes filled with emotion.

"I am getting quite bored over here." Voldemort interrupted. He, lazily, casted a nonverbal curse towards the three and Dumbledore reacted quickly, casting some sort of yellow shield around them.

"I don't need you to distract him, Professor Potter. I have an idea." Harry said quickly, trying to get though the discussing and to the action before Voldemort got too bored. He would be able to take down the shield easily enough if he wanted to. "If it works." He muttered under his breath. He looked down at his wand and then at Voldemort's wand, which he was holding almost indolently as he waited, his red eyes narrowed at the yellow shield around them.

"I'm still not leaving. I'll be right here for when you need me, Harry." James said passionately.

Harry sighed and nodded. He gave Albus a go and the shield went down. "Good luck, boys." Albus said before heading up the hill. Harry took a few steps forward, standing in front of Voldemort.

"I must say, it's about time, boy. First, we bow." He said, bowing. Harry gave a rather shaky and sloppy bow after hesitating for a moment. His face was still pale and James worried for him. He stood next to the boy, not even bothering to bow. This was not a traditional duel anyhow.

Voldemort sent the first spell, once again nonverbally, and James tensed as Harry dove to the side, out of the way from the spell. The duel had begun.

James noticed that Harry seemed to be waiting for something. Was he waiting for the moment to do his distraction, perhaps? James certainly hopped so. He sent a spell towards Voldemort. Side-by-side, much to Harry's obvious frustration, they fought against the two-legged snake. James was sure they made quiet the sight. He knew there were a few physical differences between Harry and him, height, eye color, nose, but they were, by first glance, the same. There were two similar wizards on one side and a singular dark haired, red-eyed wizard on the other.

Suddenly, James felt himself fly sideways by a familiar spell Voldemort had casted. He slammed into a tree, sarcastically thinking, '…at least it wasn't a door' as he fell to the ground. He looked up, trying to get breath back when he heard Voldemort say the first verbal curse.

"Avada Kadavra!"

James breath got caught in his throat again when he saw Harry not moving from his spot. "Harry!" He yelled, stumbling to get to his feet. He started running towards him.

Harry raised his wand and pointed it at the incoming green killing curses. "Expelliarmus!" He yelled. The charm flew out of his wand and…James slid to a stop and stared with wide, disbelieving eyes…and connected with the green curse that was coming out of Voldemort's wand.

"How is this possible?" He heard Voldemort say angrily, being as surprise as James.

To James astonishment, Harry did not seem so surprise. He looked determined as he focused his energy on holding the spell. This couldn't be the distraction. Harry couldn't start the spell to strip Voldemort of his powers like this. He slowly approached Harry, his face still showing his shock. "Priori Incantatem." He said in wonder as what he was actually seeing finally caught up to him. "Is this suppose to be your distraction, Harry? 'Cause, I don't see how you can start the spell when you are concentrating on…" He waved his hand towards the connected spells. "…this."

Harry quickly shook his head. "This…isn't it." He breathed out roughly, straining to keep the upper hand as Voldemort pushed more power into his end.

A white ball appeared out of Voldemort's wand, then another and another. There were many that landed and formed into people, people he had killed using the Killing Curse. James stared at the many Aurors, Muggles, and innocence that were cut down by the Dark Lord. The last two white balls came behind them, over Harry's shoulders. James gasped when the figures appeared. His eyes were unwilling to look away.

Lily stood behind Harry, holding a little baby boy. She let go of the baby and the baby grew to about Harry's age. He looked exactly like Harry. James felt the tears in the back of his eyes as he stared at his wife and his son.

"Harry, brother, we can provide enough distraction." Spirit Harry said as he hovered a hand over his shoulders, being unable to physically touch him.

"Sweetheart, you will have to let go when I tell you to, alright?" Lily ordered. Harry nodded his understanding.

"Lily. Harry." James said, chokingly.

Spirit Harry grinned at him. "Evening, Dad. Don't worry about us too much. We're happy and together. Mum is taking great care of me. So are Grandma and Grandpa Potter and Grandma and Granddaddy Evans. Not to mention my cool Uncle Ned, the baby Grandma Potter miscarriage before having you and my Aunt Lisa, who was also a miscarriage, I believe and Uncle Nathanael, who was the one stillborn she had." James knew he could have had older siblings, his parents did have him very late in life, but he never knew they had named their deceased children.

Lily reached over and her hand hovered over his cheek. "Be a dear, love, and move on for our sake, if not anyone else's. I love you, James and I'll be waiting for you up here, but first…you must live."

"I love you to, my Lily-flower." He gave a humorless grin, sadly remembering the times when Lily would curse him for calling her that. Oh, how she hated it. "I miss you so much." He said to both of them.

"We miss you too, Dad, but please learn to be happy and live again. For us." Spirit Harry said.

"It's time." Lily said. "Harry can't hold on much longer. We have to go." She gave James a sad smile. "Until we might up again, James. Love you." She turned to Harry. "And, sweetheart, please take care." Harry nodded, getting too strained to say much else.

"I love you too, Dad." Spirit Harry said to his father before getting into position by Harry's other shoulder.

"I…I love you too…Son." James forced himself to say. He couldn't believe the unexpected meeting was running so short. There was so much he wanted to say to his family, so much.

"Alright, Harry. Let go…now!" Lily ordered.

Harry immediately dropped his wand and moved to the side as the spirits of those Voldemort killed rushed back into his wand, blinding and distracting him. Harry started to wave his wand around, muttering under his breath some language James didn't know or understood. He stood guard, watching Voldemort in case he was able to get his bearings back before Harry was ready. He heard Voldemort growl in anger at the unprepared assault. James held his wand out, readily, his mind still on the short meeting with his family.

Voldemort finally made his way through the mist the spirits had left behind, his red eyes flashing angrily. James quickly stood in front of Harry, protectively. Voldemort waved his wand towards him and a nonverbal curse lashed out. He quickly placed a shield up and sent a charm back towards Voldemort. "Just tell me when you're ready, Harry!" He shouted as the duel between him and Voldemort intensified.

Instead of answering him, Harry stepped around him. His arm made a side arch as he muttered the last part of the strenuous spell and the spell whizzed towards Voldemort. Not knowing what the spell was, he raised his most power shields, but it didn't even slow it down. The yellow-ish, red spell hit Voldemort head on. He screamed in pain. His scream echoing throughout the Forest, pausing the ongoing battle for a brief moment.

Harry swayed on his feet, exhaustedly. "Harry!" James yelled as he rushed to him. He managed to catch the boy before he fell over. He slowly lowered him to the ground, half way on his lap. "Harry, are you alright? Harry." James asked in worried concern.

Harry's eyes were open, but not alert. They were dazed and he was breathing hard. Perspiration on his forehead was doing a rather lousy job of clean the dirty from his face. He nodded. "F…fine, sir. Ju…just…just tired. Very." He managed to breathe out. "So…weak. Expected this. Did…it work?"

James sighed in relief at hearing his voice and looked up. Voldemort was glaring at them and he raised his wand to them. "We are about to find out." James said softly to the boy on his lap, not taking his eye away from Voldemort's wand.

"Avada Kadavra!"

James winced and waited for the green spell to come at him. Nothing happened. He looked back up to see Voldemort staring speechlessly at his wand. He tried again and again, but still nothing happened. Each failed attempt made him more and more angry. James grinned and nodded. "Yes, Harry. You did it. It worked."

"What did you do!" Voldemort yelled at them. "Who are you, boy? Speak before I kill you with my bare hands. You seemed to have temporarily stopped my magic, but I still have hands, boy! And I know how to use them to kill." He threatened.

Knowing Harry was too weak to speak, he spoke up for him. "This is Harry James Potter, Tom." He said to spite him. "And if you ever harm or threaten my son again, I will not hesitate to kill you! No, prison cell would be able to protect you from me!" James threatened back with a heated glare. "And for your information, that spell is not temporary." He added. He wanted to laugh at the look on Voldemort's face.

"It looks like your reign of terror has ended, Tom." A familiar, power-filled voice came somewhere above them.

James looked up and grinned. There, on top of the hill, stood Albus Dumbledore and with him was Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Why don't you two go and arrest him now?" He asked almost pleasantly. "I'm sure the Minister would love to have his trial as soon as possible."

"With pleasure, Headmaster." Kingsley said as they headed down the hill.

Voldemort shook his head. "No, no, no, no, no, NO!" He yelled as he tried to use any form of magic to escape, unfortunately, for him, he had none. He was quickly captured, his yells of anger and frustration ringing in everyone's ears as Kingsley and Moody apparated with him to the Ministry of Magic.

"O…over?" James heard Harry weakly ask.

He looked down at Harry's tired green eyes before he looked up at Albus as the man came over. "For you, it is, Mr. Potter. However, there are still plenty of Death Eaters left to take care of." Albus answered before turning to him. "James, why don't you take Harry back to Hogwarts. He will need Madame Poppy's care." He waved his wand around James and murmured something under his breath. "There, you may apparate to the front door of Hogwarts. I just gave you temporary access."

James nodded and gathered Harry farther into his arms. "Thank you, Albus. I'll be back to help after he gets settled." He promised before apparating away.

What do you think? I wasn't really sure about having Lily and Harry come out and talk to them. Was it too much?